Tea For Two
by Saturnian Sorceress
Summary: SyFy's "Alice." Glimpses into the relationship between Alice and Hatter.
1. Pretty

"It's…pretty."

Hatter cocked an eyebrow at Alice, frowning slightly at her reflection in the mirror.

"Pretty? Not exactly what I was goin' for, love."

Striding up behind him, Alice stood on her tiptoes and rested her chin on his shoulder, her arms coming up to circle his waist.

"Okay, fine. It's not pretty, it's horrible. Definitely the most hideous thing I've ever seen."

"Now you're just being unhelpful and cheeky."

Blowing a stray feather out of the way and off of his forehead, Hatter readjusted his new feathered hat so that it tilted to the right. It didn't make it anymore attractive.

How had he come to this? To wearing faux feather hats that made his scalp itch and made people on the street do a double-take (not in the good way either, he had learned)?

The answer was as clear as the picture in the mirror in front of him.

Alice. He would do anything for his Alice.

If she liked her men to wear hats then he damn well was going to find and wear the most eye-catching hat in the Old World, even if it did make him look like a complete dunce. And if that didn't prove just how much he loved her, well then he had no idea what would.

"It's not _that_ bad," Alice said softly, turning Hatter away from his image to face her. "You can make anything look charmingly handsome anyway."

"My Alice," Hatter grinned, pulling her flush against his body and reveling in her startled yelp of surprise. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

Sealing his lips over hers, Hatter tightened his hold on Alice, lightly dancing his fingers over the patch of exposed skin between her shirt and jeans. Her hands, always delicate and soft with him, never the weapons he witnessed her use on the suits, found their way to the back of his neck. He suppressed a groan when her fingers began to gently scratch.

Lost in his Alice, something that seemed to happen far too often and was never in his control, he was surprised when he felt her smile against his busy lips. Mistaking her smile as one of pure pleasure, he continued his memorization of her lips, ignoring the slight shaking of her body against his.

Bringing her hands around to rest on his chest Alice lightly pushed against him. The sound Hatter made as they parted could only be described as a mix between a whimper and moan.

"I'm sorry," Alice laughed, batting away a few stray feathers that dangled in front of her. "Your hat was tickling my face."

"Your mirth is lost on me," Hatter grumbled.

Alice simply shrugged her shoulders, a slight smile still gracing her features, and removed the ugly feathered hat from his head. Placing it on her head she unwound herself from Hatter, suppressing another laugh at his groan of protest, and practically skipped the foot and a half to the mirror.

She stretched her arm up the full-length mirror's frame, the rest of her body pressing against it lightly. Placing her other hand on her hip, she popped it out in what she hoped was a seductive manner.

Deepening her voice to make it sound sultry, like in all of those old Hollywood movies she had watched with her mother as child, Alice questioned, "Well Mr. Hatter, how does the hat look?"

Hatter made no attempt to conceal the way his eyes drank in her body. He just hoped she hadn't seen the slight shiver course through him at the tone of her voice.

"From my vantage point Ms. Hamilton," Hatter began, stalking towards her.

He paused in front of her, brown eyes locking on blue, and leaned in so that their noses brushed against each others. His thumb caressed her cheek as he finished his thought.

"It still looks like an ugly hat."

Alice's eyes flew open (when had she closed them?) and her mouth formed a surprised 'O.' She gasped as Hatter tore the hat from her head and tossed it behind him, onto one of the bedposts, without turning around to look.

Running his fingers through her hair, Hatter smirked as he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "No need to be cheeky, love. That's my job."

A quick smile was shared between the two before Hatter closed the distance between them, all thoughts of ugly hats forgotten by the pair for the moment.


	2. Every Time

**Wow! I was really surprised at the feedback I got! Thank you reviewers, you're all awesome! FYI, the prompts I'm using are from the Livejournal community _alice_fic_.**

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"This seems like an awful lot of work for nothin'."

Alice pivoted on her heel, hair swishing, lips pursed, frustration clearly visible on her face.

"It is _not_ for nothing! This is a very important step in asserting my independence as an adult. Get your feet off the coffee table!"

Following her order, Hatter removed his feet and rose from the couch. He watched Alice with amusement as she flitted around the room rearranging plates, straightening linen napkins and buffing out non-existent smudges on wine glasses.

Hatter threw a glace at the clock on the wall and sighed. Quarter to eight. Fifteen more minutes before their guests arrived and then another several hours until he could have Alice all to himself again. He wasn't sure he could be as patient as he needed to be.

Carol, Charlie, Jack and Duchess (the latter two Hatter was not exceptionally thrilled about, but he would play nice, for Alice's sake) were all set to come over to Alice and Hatter's new apartment for, what had Alice told him it was called, a House Warming party. He was a bit unsure as to the point of said party as seeing it wasn't an actual house they had moved into, but when he had brought it up Alice had brushed it off by saying that it was the principle of the matter.

"Please stop fussing, everything looks perfect, love."

Taking a step back to view her handiwork Alice questioned, "Are you sure? I really just want everything to go smoothly."

"I'm sure everythin' will be fine," Hatter replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him.

"I hope so," Alice murmured, resting her head against his upper arm.

"So, quick question, just so I'm clear, why did I have to hide my clothes again?"

"Because, although my mother is fond of you, she isn't _that_ fond of you. She doesn't need to know that we're living together, not yet anyway," she added at his slightly affronted look, "and I don't want the third degree right now."

"This is a temporary secret then? We will tell Carol eventually, right?"

"Of course we will. Just after everything settles down and Mom is more comfortable with our relationship. You have to understand, its' been just the two of us for so long, I can't just up and aban--"

Pressing a finger to her lips Hatter cut her off.

"I get it. I just wanted to make sure you weren't ashamed of me," and with a smirk and a wink he added, "or just using me for my body."

Alice rolled her eyes and looped her arms around his neck, bringing her lips a hairsbreadth away from his and whispered, "Please, you'd be perfectly content if I was solely after your body."

"I'm sure you'd wear me right out."

"You could only wish."

The pair moved in to close the gap between them, anticipation coursing through them. A sudden throat-clearing made them jump apart.

"Not interrupting anything am I?" Jack questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course not," Alice declared, voice wavering slightly. "I'm so glad you could all make it."

As Alice greeted her guests, Hatter couldn't contain the bitter sigh that escaped him as he glanced at Jack.

"Every damn time."


	3. Hug

"Alice, love, I'm home! The market had a really small selection of tea and I'm quite disappointed, but I got what I could. Alice? Alice?"

Hatter placed the grocery bag filled with tea on the counter and went in search of his mysteriously quiet girlfriend. His right hand balled into a fist, the sledgehammer ready to be used if needed; the apartment was rarely quiet and engulfed in darkness, something had to be wrong.

"Alice, love? You here?"

He glanced down the hallway and, noticing the light coming from under the bathroom door, relaxed his fist. As he passed their darkened bedroom, he could hear the shower running.

A sly grin crossed his features. He was certain Alice wouldn't mind some company…

The door was slightly ajar and when he stealthy entered the bathroom he was assaulted and enveloped in steam. At first he was surprised at how loud the sound of the water hitting the tiles of the shower was, until he listened a little closer.

It wasn't the reverberating sound of water on tile that made him pause in front of the shower curtain, but what he realized was the sound of choked sobs. Alice was crying, but she sounded worse than he had ever heard her before. She sounded as if she were in pain.

Hesitating only slightly, Hatter quietly questioned, "Alice?"

He could see her silhouette stiffen behind the curtain.

"Hatter." His name was nothing but a word. There was no emotion behind it.

"Everything alright, love?"

"Yes."

She had answered too fast; her voice had cracked.

"I know something isn't right, please talk to me."

"I'm fine Hatter, just—please—I just need to be alone for awhile."

She sounded tired and weak.

"Alice, please, if ther—"

"Go!"

Her yell echoed off the bathroom walls. Dead silence followed.

"Alice, I'm movin' the curtain and we're clearin' up whatever's goin' on," Hatter stated. His tone of voice left no room for argument.

Peeling back the curtain, Hatter had to make a conscious effort not to gasp.

Alice was huddled in the back corner of the shower, curled up into a ball, shivering violently despite the practically scalding temperature of the water. She looked up at him, eyes red and puffy…and haunted.

"Oh, Alice…"

"Hatter." Her voice broke and tears welled in her eyes.

"C'mere, love."

Alice shakily reached out towards him. Stepping into the shower, heedless of the water drenching him, Hatter helped her stand and slowly pulled her out. She stood in the middle of the pristine white bathroom, her arms wrapped around her body in a protective manner.

Unsure of the proper protocol for the situation, Hatter grabbed a towel from the rack. Carefully unwrapping her arms from her naked shivering body, he gently covered her in the towel.

As he finished securing it, he glanced up into her blue eyes, usually so vibrant and intelligent, now emotionless and haunted. He didn't have a chance to pull away before she collapsed into him, her body wracked with sobs.

Hatter half-carried, half-dragged Alice to their bedroom and laid her prone form on their bed. He arranged a few pillows behind her head and then made the move to turn on the bedside lamp.

"Please, no. No light" Alice mumbled, her hand clasping feebly around his wrist.

"Okay, love, no light."

Hatter stood awkwardly by the bed. The room was bathed in darkness, the only light, from the sole streetlamp and the occasional passing car, coming in through the window. He watched helplessly as Alice shook with sobs, her face streaked with the dim light from the outside elements.

Quietly, hesitantly, he lay down on the bed next to her, careful not to touch her. How long the two stayed like that, next to each other in the dark, but not touching, was indeterminable to Hatter. It could've been minutes or hours; all he truly knew was that he hurt because Alice was hurting.

Lost in thought, Hatter was surprised when he felt the bed shift slightly. Alice had turned her head and was hiccupping with the remnants of her crying. Taking a risk, Hatter pulled Alice into his body. She melted into him.

Hatter ran his fingers through Alice's wet hair, gently combing out the knots. His other hand rubbed comforting circles on her back, the towel rough to the touch; so unlike the soft skin it was covering.

"I'm so sorry."

"What've you got to be sorry about?"

Alice paused. "This"

"My Alice, there's nothin' to apologize for." Hatter felt her head nod slightly against his chest. Whether she was agreeing or disagreeing with him he wasn't sure.

"Whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen."

Silence descended on them. Hatter continued his soothing ministrations, while Alice cried lightly. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and took a shuddering breath before speaking.

"Daddy's dead. He's _really_ dead."

Hatter stayed silent. Even in the dark he could see the memories of her father's death playing behind her eyes like some disturbing movie.

"He's not coming back, he's not ever coming back. It's his birthday, he should be here, with me and Mom and—"

She was babbling, becoming hysterical.

"I _let_ him die, _watched_ him die. I didn't even try to save him. Didn't even try…"

Alice broke off into sobs and the shivering started up once again. She continued to mutter about failing her father, about how everything was her fault, trying in vain to exercise the demons that plagued her mind.

Planting a kiss on her forehead, Hatter pulled the quilt from the foot of the bed and covered the two of them. He let her talk, never interrupting, until she was overtaken by exhaustion.

Hatter hugged Alice's sleeping form to his and closed his eyes, hoping that the next day would bring the light back to his Alice's eyes and perhaps bring her some peace of mind.


	4. Only One

**Special thanks to all the people reviewing, favoriting and story alerting! This chapter has a strong T rating. It's the most racy thing I think I've ever written (blushes). Enjoy!**

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"There's no way," Hatter muttered, "No way that she has only one."

Pushing aside clothes hangers, he stepped back from the closet and crossed his arms, letting out a frustrated sigh. He'd been at this for over an hour and the searching was getting him nowhere. He had dug through storage, rummaged through Alice's dresser drawers and had just finished hunting through the closet, and he had nothing to show for it.

Letting out a groan Hatter flopped onto the bed and covered his face with his hat. He was pathetic really. What man spent his hours searching for a dress?

But this wasn't any dress, but _the_ dress; the dress that Alice had been wearing when he fell in love with her. The robin's egg colored mini-dress had become a bit of an obsession for him. When he had flippantly mentioned that he fancied the dress on her, Alice had blushed and said that she had gotten rid of it. She offered no further explanation and had changed the subject.

Hatter was having none of it.

He knew from his vast experience with women (Wonderland women, but women none-the-less) that when they found something they liked they bought more than one of it, usually in a variety of colors. He could just picture Alice in a red version of _the_ dress…black boots…red painted lips…preferably soaking wet…

He needed to stop those thoughts; they were just going to make things harder for him.

Deciding to make himself a cup of chamomile tea (the Old World had had years to come up with more exciting tea flavors, why hadn't they?) to calm himself, he strolled into the kitchen contemplating his peculiar situation.

Alice had been a vision in a blue mini-dress when he met her and since coming through the looking glass he wanted nothing more then to act on the naughty thoughts that the dress elicited in him.

Hatter had even gone as far as to let Alice in on some of his more tame fantasies, but she had only smiled and shook her head.

Clutching her long coat in a bid to keep in some body heat from the bitter cold outside, Alice found Hatter looking morose as she entered their apartment over an hour later. He was sitting at the kitchen table, finishing up a cup of tea and shaking his head a bit as if to clear away unwanted thoughts.

"Hey," Alice said as she placed her purse on the table and slid into Hatter's lap. "How was your day?"

"Fine, love. Nothin' special."

"Well, what'd you do all day?"

"I, uh, straightened up all the junk in the closets. How was your class?"

"Ugh," Alice groaned, grabbing Hatter's empty tea cup and bringing it to the sink. "Stressful. Teaching karate to a birthday party of twelve, sugar high seven-year-olds was not how I wanted to start my day. And the miserable weather didn't make matters any better."

"Bloody weather makes me lethargic."

"Aw, poor baby," Alice pouted, lower lip jutting out. Hatter suppressed the urge to jump out of his chair and dominate her red lips with his own.

"Well, I may have something that could cheer you up."

"Really?"

Hatter raised his eyebrows and made his way over to her, stopping to lean on the granite island. Alice's crystal eyes had followed him, like a predator sizing up their prey.

"Really," she purred, pressing her body flush against his.

Taking one of his large hands in hers, she led it across the buttons of her jacket, unhooking them one at a time. As the last one came undone and the fabric parted, Hatter let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I thought you got rid of it?" He murmured.

"Well, I had given it to my mother so she could donate it to the Salvation Army, but I guess she forgot. When I realized how much it meant to you, I asked for it back."

"Good girl."

Hatter's voice was rough and an octave lower than normal. Alice hid her face in his neck, so that he wouldn't see her triumphant smirk. Had his vocal response not been enough for Alice to understand how he wanted the night to end, his wandering hands were. They seemed to be everywhere at once.

Hatter's hands slowly traced Alice's curves, which were encased and accentuated by _the_ dress. His fingers followed the seams, memorizing the texture and relishing in the feel, mesmerized by its' utter flawlessness. He let out a shaky breath; he couldn't get close enough.

With some shock, Alice noted that she had been divested of her jacket and that Hatter had switched their positions and she was now being pressed against the island. His hands roamed the blue mini-dress as his lips trailed down her neck. Rubbing circles on her hips through the fabric of _the_ dress proved not to be as gratifying as when he could do it on her bare skin.

Bunching the fabric in his fists, Hatter slowly began to pull the dress up, giving Alice time to protest if she found it fit. She didn't. He grasped her hips and lifted her up onto the island, grinning rakishly up at her when she let out a shriek of surprise.

Gently pulling off her boots, he let his fingers briefly explore the porcelain skin of Alice's calves and allowed his lips to follow the same path. His brown eyes flickered up at her and he was forced to pause his ministrations.

Alice was simply breathtaking, her eyes screwed shut, nails digging into his shoulders, face flushed and breathing hard.

"I'm a lucky man."

Leaning forward so that their foreheads pressed against each other's, Alice whispered back, "I'm a lucky woman."

Surging forward, Hatter's lips met Alice's in a heated kiss. He nipped at her bottom lip and reached around to drag the zipper on _the_ dress down, trying not to shiver as Alice ran her hands through his hair, tugging on the ends.

"Bedroom," Alice gasped out, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Nodding slightly, Hatter pulled Alice off of the island, making sure to squeeze her backside as he did. He hurried down the hallway to their bedroom, love of his life coiled around him. Depositing her on their bed, he wasted no time. He climbed on top of her and resumed kissing her hot flesh, simultaneously extracting her from _the _dress.

Because if there was one thing Hatter loved about _his_ Alice it was seeing her in _the_ dress.

And if there was one thing he loved more than seeing her in _the_ dress, it was seeing it crumpled up on the floor at the bottom of the bed the next morning.


	5. Song

"_Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you, remember I'll always be true and then while I'm away I'll write home everyday and I'll send all my loving to you…"_

Hatter smiled contentedly as he watched Alice prance around the kitchen. He leaned casually against the doorframe and admired her as she twirled her way around the room and sang into a spatula.

She was so carefree and happy…and completely unaware that she was being watched.

"_I'll pretend that I'm kissing the lips I am missing and hope that my dreams will come true…"_

She was selling it for all it was worth to her imaginary audience. Her ponytail swished back and forth as she bounced, her open robe revealed she wore one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, while she simultaneously kept an eye on the pancakes she was making.

Deciding it was time to make his presence known, because he may have been a lot of things but a voyeur wasn't one of them, Hatter snuck up behind Alice at one of her more- singing-less-dancing inspired moments. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him. She gasped and tried to turn around, but he ignored her and pressed his lips to her ear, singing along to the end of the song.

"_All my loving I will send to you, all my loving darling I'll be true, all my loving, all my loving, ooh ooh, all my loving, I will send to you."_

Placing her non-spatula holding hand over his, Alice leaned her head back, a signal that Hatter understood as her invitation for a kiss. After pecking her on the lips, Hatter reached over and grabbed the top pancake that rested on the growing pile.

"So," Alice began, "that was a nice surprise. Since when do you know The Beatles?"

"I've been studyin' up on your music. Not all of it's bad," Hatter replied around a mouthful of pancake.

"Wow, thanks. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't approve."

"I'm not gonna lie, I don't get some of it, ya know? Like you have those discs of that one English band with the seven people; why do you need seven people in a band if none of them play instruments? Although that one blonde girl in the band _is_ pretty attractive," Hatter trailed off.

"Oh, so you do prefer blondes?"

"Of course not. You know I don't discriminate by hair color; I discriminate by breast size."

Alice rolled her eyes as she walked past Hatter to place the plate of pancakes on the table, smacking his rear for good measure.

"So, 'cording to that old man with the fedora I talk to that sits at that coffee shop—"

"Starbucks," Alice interrupted.

"Right, Starbucks or as I call it Hell, but I digress, 'cording to the old man he said that every couple has a special song. Are we supposed to have a song?"

Alice paused, pancakes hovering in front of her mouth, "I don't know, I guess we could."

"Okay, let's pick a song then."

"I don't think you're supposed to pick a song, I think the song is supposed to pick you."

"Alice, love, even in Wonderland songs don't pick people."

"No, not literally pick, but figuratively. Like the song is supposed to hold some kind of meaning to us. It could've been playing the first time we kissed or the first time we had pizza."

"But there weren't any songs playing either of those times, so I think it'd be easier to make one up."

"I suppose we could just pick our joint favorite and pretend. Honestly, I've never been in a relationship long enough to get a couples song."

"Well then, we'll have to get an extra special song."

Hatter bounded from the table and ran to their bedroom, just like a sugar high child. Alice could hear him rummaging around the room, no doubt making a mess that she'd have to clean-up later. He returned moments later holding her old CD carrying case that hadn't been able to zip close in a good decade.

"Right, so I've been making notes on songs that might me good for us—"

"Oh my God," Alice laughed, "you've been planning this for awhile haven't you?"

"Maybe," Hatter answered, grinning boyishly up at her.

"Alright, hit me with everything you've got."

"Tell me your feelings towards the following selections. _Time After Time, There You'll Be, _and _I_ _Don't Wanna Miss A Thing_."

"Not the last two because they were movie themes and I'm not feeling the first, what else is on your amazing list? Any boy band songs? They tend to work."

"Hmm," Hatter mumbled, flipping through the book of CDs. "_All I Have To Give, This I Promise You_…_Liquid Dreams_…"

"Oh that last one, definitely!"

"Knew you'd like that one. How about a Beatles song? There's certainly enough to choose from. What about _If I Fell_ or _And I Love Her_?"

"Or we could just take _Why Don't We Do It In The Road?_" Alice said. "This is dumb; we just can't pick a song and infer meaning from it for us."

"Well at least I'm trying!"

Alice stood, frustration clearly showing in her body. She began clearing the table, avoiding eye contact with Hatter. The two remained in tense silence for several minutes.

Groaning lightly, Hatter removed his hat and ran his hands through his hair. This had not gone nearly as well as he had thought it would. He continued to flip through the CDs, but stopped when one particular one caught his eye. He had listened to it before and, hell, it was corny and overused, but it did describe them quite well, maybe she'd go for it.

Removing the CD from its' slot, Hatter strolled over to the player and popped in. Choosing the correct song, he pressed play then walked to Alice, who was scrubbing syrup off of plates in the sink.

Wrapping his arms around her shoulders and hugging her close, he began to sing.

"_Maybe it's intuition, some things you just don't question, like in your eyes I see my future in an instant, and there it goes, I think I've found my best friend."_

Hatter turned her around and cupped her face in his hands, not even acknowledging when her soapy hands found their way around his waist and soaked his shirt.

"_I know that it might sound more than a little crazy, but I believe, I knew I loved you before I met you, I think I dreamed you into life, I knew I loved you before I met you I have been waiting all my life."_

Smiling up at him, Alice joined her voice with his as the song continued.

"_There's just no rhyme or reason, only the sense of completion and in your eyes I see the missing pieces I'm searching for, I think I've found my way home."_

"How's this song?" Hatter whispered.

"Perfect," Alice responded.

She leaned forward to bring their lips together and as they kissed the music faded into the background.

"…_A thousand angels dance around you, I am complete now that I've found you…"_


	6. Kiss

**This chapter has a strong T rating.**

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Alice was addicted.

She was an addict.

There was no twelve-step program strong enough to help her.

His kiss kept her coming back for more.

Ugh, the things he could do with his mouth…just the thought made her shiver.

He was good, _goddamn_ was he good, and he knew it.

With each kiss Alice never knew what to expect and she suspected that was the point, to keep her on her toes.

When his kisses were chaste and loving Alice felt like the most special person in the entire world. He made her feel safe and loved. His lips would compliment hers, completely in sync, and they fit together like perfect puzzle pieces. These soft, carefully controlled caresses rarely led to lovemaking, but when they did it was gentle and unselfish. In the afterglow, Alice's back would be pressed against Hatter's chest, his arms wrapped around her stomach, and he would place those sweet kisses down the back of her neck as they would drift off to sleep.

When his kisses were playful Alice knew she was in for a treat. Hatter would suck on her bottom lip, pepper her skin with hickey's or attempt to reach her tonsils with his tongue. In a trick that always made her laugh, he would suction his lips onto her cheek or neck or any other body part he deemed appropriate and pull away quickly leaving an inevitable 'pop' noise behind. Feeling like giddy teenagers, the lovemaking that followed would be fulfilling and leave both parties happy. Hatter liked to role-play in these moments; whether he was playing the savvy teashop owner and her the schoolgirl who couldn't pay her tab by conventional means or he as the uncoordinated karate student and her the master, Alice always enjoyed their games. They usually ended up on the bed (or the floor or the kitchen table or slumped against the shower wall) grinning madly at each other as they came down from their highs.

When his kisses were hot and insistent though, is when she was the most pleased. It was these kisses that fueled her addiction and these kisses that she would kill for. These kisses left her shaking with pleasure and craving his touch. His lips would devour hers, hungry and needy for her response. They would trail down her body, wet open-mouthed kisses causing her to groan until they would return to her swollen lips. Hatter would act like a man starved and whose only sustenance came from her. Lovemaking led on from these kisses made Alice wonder how she could've ever thought that Jack, or any other man for that matter, was _the one_. Hatter was wild and passionate, sometimes rough, nipping, sucking, licking, biting, marking her as his, and Alice relished every sensation. They would be consumed by lust, moaning and bucking wildly, hurtling towards their releases. When they were done, exhausted and throats raw from their screams, their sweaty limbs tangled up together, Hatter would push a damp piece of hair away from Alice's forehead and place a kiss on her temple. No words needed to be spoken, they both understood.

Alice was addicted.

She was an addict.

There was no twelve-step program strong enough to help her.

His kiss kept her coming back for more.

And she was okay with that.


	7. Flower

**This chapter has a strong T rating.**

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The old man behind the counter raised an eyebrow at the young man standing in front of him. The boy had been in and out of the flower shop all day purchasing several bouquets of sunflowers on each visit. After the first three purchases, the oddly dressed boy had grinned, stuck out his hand towards the old flower shop owner and introduced himself.

"I'm Hatter."

"Nice to meet you son, I'm Larry."

That had been it. The young man had paid for his armful of sunflowers and left the shop, faintly singing "Hey nonnie nonnie," only to return every hour on the hour for the past four hours to buy more.

As Hatter dug in his pockets for exact change to pay for his most recent purchase, Larry smiled and said, "Whoever you're buying all of these flowers must be pretty special, hm?"

"She is mate," Hatter responded as he dropped a handful of change on the counter. "Sunflowers are her favorite and your shop seems to be the only one in this whole bloody city that keeps a bunch in stock."

"So, what's the special occasion? Birthday? Anniversary?"

"It's Monday."

With that matter-of-fact answer, Hatter took his receipt and gathered his purchase, and threw a wink at Larry as he exited the shop and headed back to the apartment he shared with Alice. She would be home in a little under two hours and he had a lot of preparation left.

When Hatter reached his destination and entered the apartment he stopped for a moment to take in the initial effect Alice would receive when she returned home. The hallway was lined with vases filled with sunflowers which led to the kitchen that was also filled with sunflowers.

Hatter grinned as he admired his work. This was good. It was eye-catching, vibrant and bound to pique his Alice's curiosity. Satisfied with how well his plan was going, Hatter strode with purpose to the cutlery on the kitchen counter and chose the sharpest knife. He placed his newest sunflowers on the floor and started the tedious process of removing the flower from the stem. Phase two of his plan would soon be complete and then the real fun would begin. He just hoped Alice would hurry up and get home…

"Hatter! I'm hom—Oh, wow."

Alice froze in the doorway, taken back by the sight in front of her. Her breath caught in throat as she walked toward the kitchen, her entire path lined with sunflowers, and her breath completely left her when she entered the kitchen. The entire table and island were covered in sunflowers in all different kinds of cups, vases and, she noted in amusement, teapots.

She dropped her karate bag and purse in a chair, the only place she could find that wasn't taken over by her favorite flowers, before leaning towards one of the many vases and inhaling the scent. She smiled when the total aroma in the room filled her senses, a mix of sunflowers, honey, and lemon tea.

"Hatter," Alice called in a singsong voice. "Where are you?"

There was no response, but if she was going to be honest with herself she hadn't been expecting one. This was the third randomly sweet surprise he had done within the month and she knew there was more to it than meets the eye, there always was.

"Hatter?"

Alice called out his name again, but stopped when she heard a crunch under her foot. Stooping down, she carefully picked up the top of a sunflower. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed the trail of severed sunflower heads leading down the hallway. Following her own version of the yellow brick road, Alice couldn't help but roll her eyes at where the path ended, as she gently pushed the last sunflower head away from the closed door with her foot.

The bedroom was dark when she opened the door, not exactly what she had been expecting.

"Hatter?" Alice questioned as she reached for the light switch.

Her fingers brushed against the switch, bathing the room in light, and momentarily blinding her. Once her eyes began to adjust, she got a good look around the room and couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her.

Alice's eyebrows disappeared into her hairline at the sight before her. There on the bed lay Hatter wearing his porkpie hat and holding a sunflower over the most intimate part of his anatomy.

"Welcome home, love," Hatter purred.

Trying not to show how much she was affected by his stunt, Alice responded coolly, "This is quite the welcome."

"Well, you work so hard all of the time I thought you might like a surprise."

"This is quite the surprise."

"I know. C'mere love," Hatter coaxed, patting the spot next to him.

Alice walked slowly towards him, noticing for the first time that the entire room was also covered in sunflowers. She had to admit when Hatter set his mind to something it was go big or go home, but she cringed thinking about how much all of it must've cost him.

Sitting next to him on the bed, Alice's eyes seemed to look at everything in the room but him. She couldn't take the chance because she was so close to laughing. The whole situation reminded her of those trashy romance novels she used to sneak out of her mother's room as a teenager. She smirked at the thought; if her life was becoming a smutty novel than that would make Hatter Fabio. Oh, that was a priceless image. Alice had to admit that he was trying too hard, but it was so sweet, she could accept it.

"So," Alice began, "the sunflowers are beautiful. I don't know how I'm going to repay you for all of these surprises you've been giving me recently."

Hatter grinned rakishly. He just loved when she played innocent.

"I can think of a way," he murmured, taking her hand in his and placing a kiss on her knuckles.

Before he could sweet-talk her any further, Alice was straddling his waist, careful not to disturb the sunflower that was between them. She bent down to capture his lips in a passionate kiss, her long hair tickling his bare chest. They remained like that for some time, tongues battling for dominance, hands roaming and breathing turning shallow.

Gasping for air, the pair pulled away from each other. Alice's smile threatened to break her face, while Hatter grinned madly.

"I think I like your surprises better," Hatter rasped.

Alice said nothing; just bit her bottom lip as she trailed her hands down his chest, nails scratching on occasion. She relished his shivers of pleasure. Moving her hands further south she retrieved her final sunflower, letting her hands linger a bit longer than necessary.

"Don't tease, Alice," Hatter groaned.

The woman smiled and slowly traced the sunflower over her lover's face. Hatter exhaled slowly as he tried to maintain the sliver of self-control he had. His Alice could be quite the little mink when the urge struck her. His train of thought was quickly brought back to the task at hand as Alice leaned forward, pressing their bodies flush against each other's.

Hatter threaded his fingers through her hair as she left love bites on his neck. She made her way to his ear, briefly tugging on the lobe, before pausing her ministrations. Alice moved back and placed her forehead against his, ignoring his groan of protest.

"Thank you for the flowers," she whispered. "I really love them."

"Glad to hear it," Hatter whispered back.

"No one's ever bothered to find out my favorite flower before. I always just got roses."

Sensing that this was not a moment to make a joke, there was something off with her voice, Hatter pressed himself deeper into the pillows so he could get a better look at Alice. She suddenly looked very small and childlike.

"Alice," he mumbled placing her hair behind her ears.

"I just want you to know, to understand, how much all of _this_ means to me," Alice said, spreading her arms wide, the universal signal of encompassing everything.

Taking her face in his hands, Hatter made sure that her eyes were locked on his before speaking. "All of _this_ means the world to me, more than I could ever put into words."

Alice smiled, fighting back tears. She had never been good with showing emotions; she had learned long ago that hiding them was easier, but this felt right and she was happy to be reassured, that he felt the same. She leaned forward and kissed Hatter chastely on the lips.

"And you are very welcome for the flowers," Hatter mumbled, placing a kiss on Alice's cheek. "You can be sure that there will be many more sunflowers in our future."


	8. Savior

"I don't understand what the problem is, Alice."

"Of course you don't."

"Well, if you'd just tell me what I did wrong—"

"I shouldn't have to tell you!"

The pair tromped up the stairs towards their apartment, not caring if they were disturbing their neighbors in the late hour. They both knew that it wasn't the first time their neighbors would be privy to one of their arguments.

"This was supposed to be a relaxing, enjoyable evening and, as usual, you had to screw it up," Alice muttered as she unlocked the apartment door.

"Hm, love, what did you say? Don't think I heard you right, speak up," Hatter growled, slamming his jacket onto the kitchen table.

"You know damn well what I said."

The cold edge Alice's voice had taken only served to infuriate Hatter more.

"You're a piece of work, you are."

"You wound me."

"My God, what is your problem tonight?"

"My problem? My problem?" Alice's voice became shriller with each passing syllable. "My problem, Hatter, is you."

"Oh, okay here it comes. Let's have it then," Hatter goaded as he leaned back against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, mock interest plastered on his face.

"I don't understand how you can't already know what I'm going to say."

"Well, I don't reside in that warped mind of yours, so enlighten me."

"Fine, as seeing you can't seem to get this through your thick skull, what you did tonight was completely and utterly uncalled for."

"Which part? Taking you out to a nice, expensive restaurant for dinner, paying for said dinner, getting you home at a reasonable time and in one piece? Which part, Alice?" Hatter yelled.

"You know which part! God, you can be such a child sometimes."

"Yes, of course, I'm the child, I'm the immature one. You know, the least you could do is say 'Thank you,' I mean I did save your life."

"Please," Alice snorted. "You did no such thing. You're just lucky that man isn't pressing charges."

"Why would he press charges? It was his fault."

"You punched him in the face! How is that his fault?"

"Look, I thought he was going to hurt you. I did what I had to do."

"He was just being a Good Samaritan and returning the scarf I left in our booth. He obviously posed no threat. You, on the other hand, could've killed him."

"He grabbed you and was screaming at you. In Wonderland there is no way to misinterpret that as anything but an attack."

"Well, this isn't Wonderland!" Alice screamed.

The silence that followed was deafening. After several moments, Alice spoke again, voice dangerously low.

"You need to understand that my world has certain rules that you need to follow otherwise you're going to end up in jail."

"He was trying to hurt— "

"No he wasn't! He wasn't screaming at me, he was calling out "Miss" so he would get my attention and he only grabbed my elbow to slow me down. You overreacted."

"Fine, I overreacted. But what if he was trying to hurt you; would you still be angry over what I did?"

"Well—I—"

"Of course you wouldn't be! Because I would've saved you!" Hatter proclaimed as he grabbed Alice's upper arms, forcing her to look at him.

"I don't need a savior," Alice said venomously, roughly pulling out of his grasp. "And I don't need your protection. I can take care of myself."

She stormed down the hallway throwing over her shoulder a biting, "You need to realize that you're not in Wonderland anymore."

"Alice, don't walk away, we're not done. Alice. _Alice!_"

The bedroom door slamming shut in his face was the only response Hatter got.

"Alice, open the door! And she thinks I'm the immature one, who's the one storming out of rooms like a moody teenager" he muttered under his breath as he banged his fist against the door.

It opened just wide enough for Alice to shove a pillow and a blanket into his chest, telling him a flippant "I think you should sleep on the couch tonight" before slamming shut again.

"Alice, you're taking this way to far. I'm not apologizing, you know, I didn't do anything wrong," Hatter paused for a moment. "Answer me damn it!"

The sound of the lock on the bedroom door clicking into place was the only answer he received.


	9. Heaven

The day was dark and overcast, but Alice had learned that that usually didn't dampen Hatter's mood any. Alice wanted to do nothing, but sit on the couch, wrapped up in her comforter, drinking tea and watching reruns of _I Love Lucy_ all day.

As she sunk into the couch, balancing her hot tea so that it wouldn't spill all over her, she released a sigh of contentment. Hatter had already been sprawled on the opposite side of the couch before she sat down, drinking his own tea and watching his favorite channel, the History Channel (his favorite segment was on the Boston Tea Party, although he later told her that he thought the title was misleading).

"Love, you can change the channel in a minute, I just need to see the end of this."

"M'kay. What'cha watching?"

"Somethin' about different religions and their variations on heaven," Hatter responded, eyes never leaving the television screen.

Alice silently nodded her head, hiding her grin at her boyfriend behind her teacup. He was so cute when he was concentrating. The show ended and Hatter tossed the remote towards Alice before sliding closer to her. The couple took a second to adjust their positions on the couch, so that Alice was leaning against Hatter's chest, before changing the channel.

The pair watched _I Love Lucy_ turn into _Happy Day's _before Alice broke the comfortable silence.

"Hatter, do Wonderlanders believe in heaven?"

"The only things they believed in, until recently at least, were casinos and tea. Everything else was superfluous."

"Oh," Alice sighed. "I guess at that time that was the best for everyone."

Hatter raised a questioning eyebrow, urging his girlfriend to go on.

"It's just that my father was never a very religious man and I was just curious as to where he might've thought he would go if he died while in Wonderland."

"Love," Hatter sighed, "I don't think the Carpenter—"

Alice interrupted him with a harsh glare, forcing him to back track his sentence.

"I don't think that Mr. Hamilton ever wondered about it; no one in Wonderland ever does, they all just live in the moment and don't think about…the afterlife."

"I guess," Alice murmured, "but it's like my Dad had two separate personalities, one here and one in Wonderland, so which one, if either, could get into heaven? He lived to vastly different lives in two vastly different worlds, so how does that balance out in death? I mean if he had never been taken, he never would've done the things he did in Wonderland, so I'm sure had all of that not happened he would've had an automatic pass into heaven."

"Not sure, but as someone who played both sides, I can say that the people who get sucked up into the bad aspects of life aren't always who you'd expect. Many are just pawns, it happens."

"Well what about you Hatter? You never followed the norms in Wonderland, do you believe in heaven?"

"Not in the way many of the people in your world believe in it, no."

"Then in what way?"

"I don't think of any kind of afterlife. I've lived my life the way I've had to in order to survive and I don't feel the need for any kind of forgiveness for it. I don't think my afterlife will be all that great, so I try to find bits of what you might consider heaven every day."

"That's borderline existential of you. So what things fit into your heaven category?"

Hatter placed his arm around Alice's shoulders and pulled her closer to him, bending his head to whisper in her ear, "Moments like these; when it's just you and me, happy and content. Or when it snows and I can just sit and watch it fall while drinking a nice cup of tea or when I can people watch uninterrupted for hours in the park."

"Heaven is just the little things for you," Alice mumbled.

"They're what make the world go round," Hatter responded, leaning forward to capture Alice's lips in a chaste kiss.

When the couple broke apart, Hatter gently brushed Alice's hair behind her ear and whispered, "Heaven."


	10. Future

"Want another slice?"

"No, I can't eat anything else or I might explode," Alice stated before taking a sip of her soda.

It was Friday, Alice and Hatter's regular date-night. They had gone to the local cinema that played classic movies during weekend matinees (this week they watched _Casablanca_) then went to Luigi's Pizzeria, where they ordered their regular large pizza, half extra-cheese, half peppers, onions and pineapple.

Luigi's had been one of Alice's favorite restaurants since she was a child; her parents often took her there to celebrate good grades or used it as a bribe if she was good at a doctor's visit. Alice had been excited to introduce Hatter to the place and was thrilled when he took to it so quickly, declaring it the "best eatery on either side of the mirror" (much to the confusion of other restaurant patrons).

"Do you have a couple o' quarters, love?"

"I might."

Hatter gave Alice his best puppy dog eyes and pouted lips. Alice huffed before she began digging through her purse.

"I'll give you some coins, but you have to promise that you'll wait in line patiently and let the _actual_ children play the games too."

"Really love, what do you take me for? Of course, I'll let the littl' ones play."

Taking the coins from his girlfriend's outstretched hand, Hatter flashed her a dazzling smile before kissing her quickly and practically running off towards the ancient arcade games.

Alice glanced at her watch conscious of allowing Hatter only a specific amount of playtime. She busied herself with organizing the products on the table; parmesan cheese and oregano were moved to the side, paper plates were stacked, ice cubes were picked out of glasses and eaten.

It was several minutes later, after Alice had gotten the remaining pizza wrapped up to take home, that Hatter reappeared totting a small crying boy with him.

"Oh God," Alice mumbled. "What did you do?"

"Nothin'! He's lost, I think."

The boy sniffled and through his running nose and falling tears, Alice heard him say something about wanting his mommy. Alice's heart lurched for the poor boy.

"Hey, c'mon lad, stiff upper lip," Hatter said as he bent down to the boys eye level. "What's your name, son?"

"Jonathan," the boy stuttered, wiping his nose on his sleeve.

"Well, Jonathan my boy, how 'bout we take a seat and try and find your mum."

Hatter steered Jonathan to the table and sat him down before turning to Alice and asking for more quarters. Alice's eyebrows shot up and her lips pursed into a thin line.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered harshly. "This little boy is missing his—"

"Jus' one minute," Hatter exclaimed once he had his hands on a few coins.

He took off in the direction of the arcade games, leaving Alice shocked and fuming. Taking a second to compose herself, Alice slid into the seat across from Jonathan and plastered on what she hoped was a comforting smile. She had never been too good with children if she had do anything other than teach them karate.

"Um, okay, hey sweetheart. Um, where was the last place you saw your mom?"

"She was watching me play the videogames."

"Okay, did she say she was going anywhere?"

"No!" Jonathan yelped. "I turned around to ask her if she saw the cool move I did and she—and she—and she was gone!"

The boy burst into a fresh set of tears as Hatter reappeared throwing the pair at the table a friendly smile.

"Hey buddy, here you go this should take the edge off while we look for your mum."

Hatter grinned at Jonathan as he reached into his pants pocket and removed a handful of hard candies and placed them in the center. The boy dove for several butterscotch ones, cramming them into his mouth all at once. He tried to get out a 'thank you', but Hatter just winked.

Alice quirked an eyebrow at her beau, but he just smiled back at her. It served her right for thinking that he would run off to play videogames when this poor boy needed help; she knew him better than that and she was slightly ashamed that she had thought differently. She had forgotten all about the candy machines in the arcade. Jonathan's eyes had lit up at the candy and for a moment he was able to forget about his troubles, all because of Hatter.

"So lad, what's your mum look like?"

"Pretty."

"Well what kind of pretty? Pretty like my friend Alice here or a different kind?"

"My mom has yellow hair."

"Oh a blonde, hm? That doesn't really narrow it down," Hatter mumbled, glancing at Alice for any suggestions.

"Why don't we go talk to the manager and see if he can make an announcement or something? I mean I'm sure his mother's looking for him."

"Right, okay. Go talk to the manager and I'll entertain our new friend here."

Alice nodded and made her way up to the front counter. As she waited for the pimply faced teenage waiter to return with the manager, she glanced back over to the table and smiled; Hatter was in the middle of some elaborate slight of hand magic tricks that were keeping Jonathan immensely entertained.

A shout of "Jonathan, thank God!" broke Alice's revere. She watched as a young blonde woman, not too much older than herself, ran past Hatter to wrap Jonathan up in a huge hug. The woman peppered kisses on his face, as the boy tried to break free of her grasp, and seemed to be afraid to let go of him for fear of him disappearing.

As Alice rejoined the group she could hear the mother thanking Hatter for finding and looking out for her son.

"I just—oh—I was just so terrified when I couldn't find him. Thank you so much. I don't know how I could repay you, I don't have a lot of money, but—"

"Don't worry about it ma'am. If I had kids I would hope someone would do the same for me."

"Again, thank you so much. Say thank you Jonathan."

"Thanks Mr. Hatter!"

"No problem, kid! Be good!"

With that the mother escorted Jonathan from the pizzeria, leaving nothing more for Alice and Hatter to do than gather their belongings and head home. As the couple strolled down the street towards their apartment Hatter couldn't help but notice the coy glances Alice kept sending his way.

"What's on your mind, love?"

"Hmm? Oh, nothing, you just never cease to amaze me."

Hatter smiled, but didn't press any further.

"It's just that, the way you handled Jonathan, was pretty amazing. You took the initiative in helping him and you were even able to calm him down and take his mind off things. I'm really impressed."

Hatter cleared his throat before responding, cursing the blush that was staining his cheeks.

"Well, glad you got a kick out of it."

"No, Hatter, I can't believe how good you were with that little boy. You really helped and related to him."

"Thanks," Hatter mumbled, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side as they walked.

There was a lull in the conversation as the two simply enjoyed being with each other. As they reached their apartment building and made their way to their floor, Alice reached over and entwined her hand with Hatter's.

"You'd make a great father."

Hatter raised an eyebrow and shot her his one-dimpled smile. "Nice to hear."

Later in the night, after routines were complete and cold pizza was eaten, Alice and Hatter curled up together in bed.

"Hatter?"

"Mmm."

"Do you ever think about the future?" Alice questioned as she rolled onto her side to face him in the dark.

"_The_ future or _our_ future? 'Cause I can honestly say that one of those options is more important to me than the other."

Alice remained quiet, urging him to continue.

"Yeah, love, I do. You've said plenty of times that you're not the marrying kind and I accept that because I accept you. Whatever happens will happen."

A sigh escaped Alice before she could stop; she knew, even in the dark, that Hatter's eyebrows had risen.

"Seeing you with that boy," she whispered, "has made me think that maybe I can be the marrying kind, that I can have a family, as long as that family is with you."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. This development is new for me though, so perhaps we can just take this slow."

"Of course. We'll see where this goes."

Hatter pulled Alice close, wrapping his arms around her, and placed several butterfly kisses across her face. Rubbing her cheek with his thumb, Hatter mumbled, "How 'bout we seal our future with a kiss? Just for fun?"

Alice smiled, a real smile, the kind she reserved only for Hatter, as he covered her lips with his in a passionate kiss. Their future suddenly seemed very bright.

* * *

**This was the final prompt! I just wanted to give special thanks to all those who put the story on favorites and story alerts or put me on author alert, but an even bigger thanks to all those who reviewed; you guys are what kept me going! Thank you! :)**


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